Monthly Archives: December 2014

MN Broadband Task Force Meeting Dec 2014: Full Notes, a report and recommendation for $200 Million

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Yesterday the Task Force held the last meeting before their big annual report is due. Like last year – some of the meatiest discussion of the year happened at the end of the year. The Task Force seems to agree on so much:

  1. public private partnership will be required to meet state broadband goals
  2. the goals set years ago are outdated
  3. affordability is a bigger issue than access.

BUT the devil is in the details and that’s where people disagree AND the disagreement often taps into definitions and ideologies that are larger than the topic at hand…

  1. What is the role of state government? Does broadband need state funding, different regulation or should government have ability to run networks?
  2. What speeds are appropriate? Do we look to the feds who currently use much slower definitions than MN does? Do we look at international definitions even though they have different regulatory structures?
  3. What is affordable? And are we talking affordable for a home, business or community?

The differences seem larger in black and white, so there seems to be a desire to stay vague in the report so that everyone can agree – but I suspect that leaves some parties feeling lukewarm about the report. Whereas the original report focused on hard fought compromise, this report comes less from compromise and more from general softening of all sides. That being said – this report (and the report last year) has a pointed recommendation for funds. That recommendation was successful last year and signs point to fertile ground again this year. And I think everyone on the Task Force feels that’s a good thing.

Governor’s Task Force on Broadband December 9, 2014 DEED –
James J. Hill Conference Room
1st National Bank Building 332
Minnesota Street Saint Paul, MN, 55101-1351

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m – Full Notes & Video…

Continue reading →

Some Minnesota companies are in line to receive funding from the Rural Broadband Experiments Fund

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Wireline Competition Bureau announced the entities provisionally selected for Rural Broadband Experiments. That list includes some Minnesota companies. According to the FCC press release…

This Public Notice announces the bidders that have been provisionally selected for funding in each category, subject to the post-selection review process. Each identified bidder must complete certain steps in order to be authorized to receive Connect America Fund support for its rural broadband experiment. …

  • 19 entities seeking support to build networks that are capable of delivering 100 Mbps downstream and 25 Mbps upstream to all locations in the project census blocks in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, and Texas.
  • 12 entities seeking support to build networks capable of delivering 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream to all locations in the project census blocks in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
  • 9 entities seeking support to build networks capable of delivering 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream to all locations in project census blocks that are extremely costly to serve in California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Dakota, Kansas, South Dakota, and Texas.

At first I was a little put off by the fact that Minnesota has companies in only one category – then I realized that one category is the *one* that really offers broadband connectivity. (I get that 10/1 Mbps is better than nothing but not better than 100/25 Mbps!)

Here are the Minnesota-related companies/projects that were listed:

Bidder Name State(s) Selected Bids Support Requested for Selected Bids Census Blocks Covered by Selected Bids Selected Bid Project IDs
Lake County d/b/a Lake Connections MN 1 $3,499,965.00 847 1
LTD Broadband LLC IA, MN 1 $20,000,000.00 10,122 1

Gratitude and good wishes to Carolyn Parnell

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Bernadine_InCommonsLast week Governor Dayton thanked Carolyn Parnell for her service at MN.IT  Services Commissioner; she is resigning and we are sad to see her go. Like the Governor, we thank her for her hard work in improving IT services and reducing costs for the State…

As Commissioner of MN.IT Services, Carolyn Parnell ably led major reforms in our state government’s information technology and related services,” said Governor Dayton.  “This consolidation improved agencies’ efficiencies and saved Minnesota taxpayers nearly $28 million. I am grateful to Carolyn for her dedicated service to the people of Minnesota

“I couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments we’ve made in the past four years to improve how information technology powers state government,” said Commissioner Carolyn Parnell. “While the investment in information technology is never done, I know that the changes we have made over the past four years will make it far easier for the State, going forward, to invest wisely in the things that matter.”

We thank her for her innovation and imagination, which was recognized last year when she made Gov Tech’s list of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers. We thank her for the countless ways she shared her expertise. And for her support of Open Government – from supporting Open Government efforts to supporting events such as Hackathons that promote Open Government.

I got to know Carolyn through her work on the Blandin Broadband Strategy Board. The job is part approving broadband grant applications and part helping to steer conversations in and out of the boardroom to promote better broadband in Minnesota. Busy as she is, Carolyn always came prepared, had great questions about the grant applications and great insight for conversation.

I was personally impressed with how down to earth, yet geeky Carolyn is. She’s the sort of woman who grows her own food – but using the latest precision agriculture apps, even in her own backyard. She’s very practical and able to look at a very large picture (like IT throughout State offices and agencies) and bring better order and process to it.

Carolyn came to the job with a wide range of experience working for MNSCU and private companies and that mix of understanding public service and appreciating business acumen made her an asset to the State; one that will be hard to replace. (Although they are already accepting applications!)

A look at the politics of Minnesota State funding for rural broadband

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I’ve written a few times about the growing murmur for rural broadband from the connected (politically, not necessarily technically) masses. Earlier today I added a DEED report to the voice for the need for broadband, not necessarily a voice for spending. The Minneapolis Star Tribune draws a direct correlation between the political interest in making rural Minnesota feel the love and access to $200 million for rural broadband…

Can House Republicans buy love in Greater Minnesota on the cheap? And will they try, after learning Thursday that expected state revenues now exceed expected spending by a cool $1 billion through June 2017?

These are questions on the minds of folks at the Greater Minnesota Partnership. It’s an 18-month-old collection of nearly 80 business, higher ed, nonprofit and local economic development groups that proved its mettle in the DFL-dominated 2014 session, winning $20 million for the public share of public-private efforts to improve broadband Internet service where it’s lacking — which is outstate.

For the 2015 Legislature, the Greater Minnesota Partnership has set its sights on 10 times that much for broadband. And that $200 million is just for starters.

Regional Economic Competiveness Initiative Report: includes call out for broadband for innovation

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Last summer DEED held a number of around the state to talk very broadly to locals about the economy. Here’s a little background on the efforts (from the report)…

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has embarked on a regional economic competitiveness project that is identifying opportunities to sharpen its strategies and help drive regional economic growth. DEED leadership recognized that the state’s economic policy needs to be updated to reflect post-recession realities. To generate long-term, quality growth across the state, Minnesota needs to focus on three key economic drivers – innovation, trade, and human capital. The state needs to find ways to empower regions to act on those drivers, enabling them to leverage their distinctive strengths.

As part of this project, DEED has worked closely with local regional organizations (listed below) to convene over 22 meetings in 21 cities throughout Minnesota and meet with over 400 regional leaders representing businesses, workforce development organizations, economic developers, chamber officials, and foundation leaders.

DEED focused on three areas: talent, innovation and trade. Broadband came up as a support for innovation…

Most of the discussions on innovation focused on investing in the infrastructure needed to position regions for future growth. In addition, there was recognition for the need of developing and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs that will build the next great companies in Minnesota. Some of the common themes identified included:

* Expanding the availability and adoption of broadband; this was of special concern in more rural regions of the state where advanced agriculture and manufacturing increasingly rely on advanced information technology for enhancing competitiveness.

* Supporting local innovation and local entrepreneurs; there was wide recognition that, for longterm sustainable growth, the focus should be on retaining local business and supporting homegrown innovation and entrepreneurs that are connected to the communities in which they grow.

According to DEED…

We have recently shared what we heard with the Governor’s office and leaders from other agencies as they frame their priorities for the upcoming legislative session.  There will, undoubtedly, be more on the to-do list than can be done in one year, but we are hopeful that many to the issues brought forward in our conversations will be addressed this upcoming legislative session. We will plan to report back in February with an update on this work.

 

It seems like one more voice in the growing mass supporting broadband!

Minnesota Broadband Task Force Meeting Dec 9 Agenda

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The Broadband Task Force is meeting next Tuesday. I’ll be taking notes – but there’s always room for more…

Governor’s Task Force on Broadband
December 9, 2014
DEED – James J. Hill Conference Room
1st National Bank Building
332 Minnesota Street
Saint Paul, MN, 55101-1351

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m

10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m. – Welcome/Approval of Minutes/Public Comments

10:10 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.   – Update from Office of Broadband Development

10:20 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Review of Task Force Report Draft

12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. –  Lunch Provided for Task Force Members

12:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. –  Review of Task Force Report Draft

2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. –  Upcoming Meeting Details and Adjournment

$1 billion budget surplus could be windfall for broadband – but how big a windfall?

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Some good news for fans of rural broadband coming from BringMeTheNews…

A surplus of more than $1 billion in Minnesota’s state budget over the next two years should be put towards improving rural broadband access and a childcare tax credit, Gov. Mark Dayton has said. ..

And speaking at a press conference Thursday, Gov. Dayton said he wants to see some of this surplus used to pay for a childcare tax credit, better broadband access for Greater Minnesota, and early childhood scholarships, according to WCCO.

The Broadband Task Force has been talking about recommending for $200 million. And there has been rural support for the investment. The Task Force has also quoted $900 million to $3 billion as a back of envelope guestimate for deploying ubiquitous broadband in Minnesota.

I guess we have to ask – with $1 billion in surplus should broadband proponents be asking for more?

 

Five Tips for Foundations looking to support broadband as a tool to making things better

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Bernadine_InCommons

“We’re not the broadband foundation,” is something I’ve heard Bernadine Joselyn say many times, “We’re the Blandin Foundation.” It’s true and it isn’t true. The Blandin Foundation is so much more; they focus on student success, community engagement, rural leadership and more. But they’re also really good at broadband.

They started by recognizing early that broadband was a game changing tool  – in a positive way for the communities and people who “got” it and negatively for those who remained on the wrong side of the ever deepening digital divide. So they have worked on informing policymakers by coordinating a Blandin Broadband Strategy Board that helps to define and champion a broadband vision for Minnesota. They worked on supporting practitioners with grants and community coaching. They raise the topic continually through annual conferences, other events and by maintaining this blog!

They have raised interest and emphasis in broadband in Minnesota and they are now in a position to encourage other foundations to do the same. The Council on Foundations just published a great piece from Bernadine that speaks to other foundations, making the case for supporting broadband in their areas and offering some lessons learned to help them get the efforts off the ground and headed in the right direction…

Top 5 Lessons Learned

  • Peers make great teachers. Peer-based learning formats that encourage local businesses to share practices, questions and experiments are a popular, low-cost, and easily sustainable tool to build a community’s technological savvy.
  • 4. Engage tomorrow’s leaders today. Recognize and engage the talents of young people. This next generation of leaders brings energy and sustainability to any community initiative.
  • Broadband is not an end in itself. It is a means to the higher ends of increased economic vitality, equal opportunity and improved quality of life for all. Framing this work in these terms is likely to be more successful than by calling out the technical infrastructure itself.
  • Have patience. This work takes time. Look for and celebrate early and easy “wins” along the way, but think long-term and build capacity and energy for the long-haul.
  •  It all comes down to community leadership. Help local broadband champions get and use skills to frame issues, build and sustain relationships and mobilize people to build a community’s capacity to achieve its broadband goals

Sign of broadband success? Redundancy on North Shore keeps communication open after fiber cut

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I am sharing the following email from Office of Broadband Development Director Danna MacKenzie with permission. Stats and maps are so important when measuring broadband progress – but one good story can really make a difference too!

dannaFriends,

Today marked a small milestone in our broadband work. Many will remember my testimony given to the first MN broadband task force and other audiences many years ago about the vulnerability that exists in some parts of our state that lack enough connectivity to provide diverse paths in and out of an area.

On more than one occasion, including today, an unfortunate accident has led to the severing of the fiber link that provides all communication services to the Arrowhead region of the state. This includes internet service, wired home and business telephone, long distance, and up until today, even cell service. This means there is almost no way to communicate in or out of the area, including no 911, no banking services, no credit card authorizations, and no phone service to the hospital or medical records access for any of our docs.

Today, at about noon, we had a similar cut in Tofte. All of the services mentioned above were down for about 8 hours, but miraculously, cell service remained intact. So, among other things, our doctors could continue to get the information they needed, even though the EMR system was not available, we could continue to communicate with colleagues, friends, and family members as needed, and messages could be relayed to the sheriff’s office as needed. This is because the improved connectivity we have been working on for so long, is finally here and is starting to pay off. The cell traffic, for the first time, was traveling on a different line and wasn’t cut off.

We now have more than one route in and out of the county, thanks to federal stimulus funding and the chutzpah of Arrowhead Electric in conjunction with the support of the community. The availability of diverse communication pathways makes our communities stronger and less vulnerable to catastrophic outages.

Thank you to those who understand the importance of this issue and are willing to do something about it; and thank you to those who may not naturally see this as a place for government involvement, but are willing to come to the table and listen and work on solutions.

Today was a good day. Our work is paying off.

Danna

 

 

St Paul Library gets nod for digital programming: See what patrons can access

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I was so pleased to meet Pang Yang from the St Paul Public Library at the 2014 Border to Border Broadband conference when we talked about libraries and technology. It was a chance for attendees (and me) to learn about all the digital programming and digital training that the St Paul Library is doing. A sneak preview! The Pioneer Press’ Julio Ojeda-Zapata broke the story this week…

St. Paul Public Library cardholders can now be active and engaged without stepping inside a library branch for years, or ever — and library officials are fine with that.

In recent years, the library has rolled out an expanding number of digital services available to its users on the Internet.

Patrons can borrow e-books through OverDrive and Cloud Library, download audio content via Freegal and OneClickDigital, read digital magazines using Zinio, take programming classes via Treehouse, learn a new language by using Transparent Language Online, practice for student and professional tests via Learning Express Library, and more — all for free and from home or work.

The St. Paul Library this week rolled out its latest digital offering: Complimentary access to Lynda.com, a self-learning site with hundreds of courses and thousands of videos that focus on software training, business-skill building among other things.

I haven’t tried all of these tools – but I can tell you that Lynda is worth a look. And it’s an example of the role a library can play in any community. We’re not just for books anymore! The library is the perfect storm for digital inclusion – there are knowledgeable librarians who are used to helping patrons, they are used to sharing subscriptions hardware (if you want to call a book oldl school hardware) and people come to the library to access information

Elements of an effective privacy policy courtesy of Senator Al Franken

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According to a press release from Senator Franken’s office, he is talking with Lyft about their privacy policy. Lyft is a rideshare program – and apparently there have been problems with Lyft’s privacy policy – in terms of how much access they provide about their customers and how they communicate their privacy policy to customers…

Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) asked Lyft—a company that connects riders with drivers-for-hire using a GPS-based mobile app—to explain its data privacy policies and to ensure that consumers’ sensitive geolocation information is protected.

In a letter sent today, which you can read here or below, Sen. Franken asked the CEO of Lyft to explain the company’s privacy policies, how those policies are being communicated to employees and affiliates as well as customers, and whether they are being appropriately enforced. At least one journalist has reported that her Lyft trip log was accessed on multiple occasions by Lyft executives without requesting her permission and without any apparent legitimate business purpose.

There are three things I like about this interaction. First – I like policy that protects consumers. Most of us don’t have time to check into these sorts of things. I am glad there are  policymakers who make time. Second – I’m not a Lyft user, but I do use its competitor Uber, so I feel like I have a dog in this fight. Rideshare programs have your credit card info. And depending on how often you use the service, it wouldn’t take long to learn an awful lot about a user – such a home address (or at least where you go at the assumed end of your day), places and times frequented and whether you travel alone or with others. That’s a lot of information to have!

Finally and perhaps most usefully here, in the letter Franken asks Lyft to consider a series of question related to customer privacy, communication and place for ensuring privacy. It’s a great outline for what you ought to include in a privacy policy.

  1. Your spokesperson has stated that steps have been taken to restrict access to customers’ data, including location data, to a subset of employees. To whom is access still available and what circumstances qualify as proper use of such data? Where do you provide this information to consumers?
  2. By accessing a journalist’s trip data did executives violate past policies? If they did, to what do you attribute the failure? Under your current policies, is such conduct prohibited?
  3. What training is provided to employees, as well as contractors and affiliates, to ensure that Lyft’s current policies, as well as relevant state and federal laws, are being followed? How has this training been improved in light of recent developments?
  4. What mechanisms do you have in places to monitor for improper use of customer data by employees? Are customers informed if their information has been improperly accessed?
  5. Your spokesperson has suggested that abiding by restrictions on user data is a condition of employment. Under what circumstances would an employee face disciplinary action or termination for a violation of Lyft’s privacy policies? Have any disciplinary actions been taken on this basis?
  6. Your privacy policy states that “to preserve the integrity of [Lyft’s] databases,” you retain customer’s data indefinitely. Why is it necessary to retain trip information indefinitely? In particular, when an account is terminated, why isn’t all related information deleted as soon as pending charges or other transactional disputes are resolved?
  7. Your privacy policy states that you may disclose customers’ personal information and demographic information (such as “browsing history,” “searching history,” and other “ride transaction information”) on a “non-anonymous basis” to “protect the interests” of Lyft. What does this mean?
  8. In the same paragraph, the policy states that you may disclose all of this information to your “subsidiary and parent companies and business, and other affiliated legal entities and businesses with whom [Lyft is] under common corporate control.” Why aren’t any limitations imposed on this sharing?
  9. Your privacy policy also states that customer data may be shared with advertisers on an “anonymous and aggregated basis.” Why aren’t customers asked to affirmatively consent to this use of their information? Are customers able to opt out of this information sharing?
  10. Your policy states that third parties offering or sponsoring products or services on the Lyft Platform need not comply with Lyft’s privacy policy. What are some examples of such third parties? Do you impose any minimum standards in evaluating the privacy policies of those parties?

Random side note – studies have shown that consumers look for privacy policies on websites before they buy but rarely read them. If you have an ecommerce site it makes sense to have a priacy policy in place. If you are buying online – it makes sense to start reading policies and think of Franken’s shortlist of questions as you do!

Blandin Broadband e-News December 2014: Conference Notes & Community Updates

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BBC MapNews from the Blandin on Broadband Blog

Border to Border Broadband: No Community Left Behind Nov 18-19

The Border to Border conference in November was a great success. Blandin Foundation announced 10 new Blandin Broadband Communities, Connect Minnesota unveiled their final scheduled round of research and communities heard from broadband practitioners and policy leaders – below are links to individual conference sessions notes (presentations and videos when available):

Blandin Foundation Names Next Round BBC Communities

Blandin Foundation announces 10 new Blandin Broadband Communities; Blandin will be working with these communities to expand broadband in their areas: http://wp.me/p3if7-2TA

  • Carlton County
  • Central Woodlands (East Central RDC)
  • Chisago County
  • Martin County
  • Nobles County
  • Red Wing
  • Redwood County
  • Resilient Region Virtual Hwy Taskforce
  • RS Fiber Cooperative
  • Sherburne County

Broadband Makes the Headlines in Twin Cities

Over the Thanksgiving break both the St Paul Pioneer Press and Minneapolis Star Tribune featured articles on broadband disparities in rural areas. The Star Tribune talked about the Minnesota Broadband Fund and focus on rural areas. The Pioneer Press explained the disparities between rural and metro broadband access and use. http://wp.me/p3if7-2TX Earlier in the month, Minnesota Public Radio hosted an on air conversation on Net Neutrality. http://wp.me/p3if7-2SH

Broadband Makes Headlines in Rural Areas

The Winona Daily News http://wp.me/p3if7-2SL and MinnPost http://wp.me/p3if7-2TT both talk about the Minnesota House becoming more Republican and more rural after the last election and expect an increased focus on rural broadband. MinnPost adds that the Greater Minnesota Partnership wants Legislators to invest $200 million in the Broadband Fund in the next session.

Broadband News Around Minnesota

 Itasca County

Itasca Area Initiative for Student Success surveys area students on a range of topics, including technology. Results indicate that 22 percent were challenged by technology, 44 percent felt vulnerable, 18 percent felt they had adequate technology skills and only 16 percent felt they were thriving. http://wp.me/p3if7-2TQ

Itasca County BBC initiative celebrates broadband success by showcasing their efforts including Social Media Breakfasts, e-business training, IT networking events and community portal. http://wp.me/p3if7-2SJ

Renville & Sibley Counties

RS Fiber’s Board of Directors recently endorsed an updated business plan and financing strategy to deploy fiber in 10 cities and 17 townships in the Renville and Sibley counties. http://wp.me/p3if7-2TM

 Events & Funding Deadlines:

  • December 9: Minnesota Broadband Task Force (Minneapolis)
  • Jan 3-15: Gigabit City Summit (Kansas City) http://www.gigabitcitysummit.com/
  • Jan 21: Deadline for Ignite funds for cool applications that showcase Gigabit access or promote Joint Gigabit projects http://wp.me/p3if7-2S9

Looking for more events? Check out TechDotMN’s calendar http://tech.mn/events/. Many events are based in the Twin Cities but it is a comprehensive list. (If you have an upcoming event, consider submitting it.)

Bill_ColemanStirring the Pot

I’m a big MN Gopher football fan, suffering through some pretty bad teams over the years. But this year, the team has played better and has won some big games. Four years into his stay, Coach Kill has emphasized building a program “Brick by Brick” and it seems that they are doing just that. The bricks are skill, strength and determination. Progress comes fast or slow, or in bursts. Sometimes there are setbacks.

Community broadband initiatives are similar long-term initiatives requiring a strong foundation. The bricks are leadership, educated consumers, feasible alternatives and trusted partnerships. A community cannot just purchase these items off the shelf. Like the Gophers, progress is achieved only through hard work led by smart leaders and guided by a plan. If your community wants to start building your broadband initiative, consider seeking assistance through Blandin Foundation’s Community Broadband Resources program. Click here for more information: http://broadband.blandinfoundation.org/programs/community-broadband-resources-program